They are dime size, an inch or two apart, and appear periodically throughout my house. They are not everywhere, but they run left to right, and seem to coincide with a beam.

The house is 40 years old, but the roof was re-shingled 10 years ago.

Could this be some type of water damage, or something else?

– David Smith,
Springfield

Answer: We contacted three private contractors to see what they thought of this situation, and while they all agreed your problem could be water related, they had different theories as to what the remedy might be.

“It depends if the roof is leaking,” Wyatt Couture, of Adam Quenneville Roofing, Siding and Windows in South Hadley said. “It could definitely be water damage, but I would have to see it to be sure.”

“If there isn’t a clear sign of leaking, then it could be caused by poor ventilation,” Dan Bowen, of DNJ Roofing and Waterproofing in Springfield added. He explained that if heat is not properly ventilated in the attic, condensation can build up over time. This condensation can eventually cause the ceiling paint to chip as well as the dimples you are describing.

Lee Parks, of Lee Parks and Sons Home Improvement in Chicopee suggested that the wood underneath the ceiling could be rotting. “It is possible that the underlay is deteriorating and needs to be replaced,” he said. This is usually caused by water damage.

None of these three contractors, however, could be sure what the correct solution might be, without coming to your house and inspecting the problem. Contacting a contractor directly would be a good next step.